Red Bull Chief Designer Craig Skinner Departs After 20 Years

Red Bull Racing's chief designer, Craig Skinner, has left the team on the eve of the new Formula 1 season, ending a 20-year tenure. Skinner was a key architect of the dominant 2023 RB19, the most successful car in F1 history. The team confirmed the departure, stating it was Skinner's own decision and is not connected to any other recent rumored exits.

Why it matters:

The timing of the departure, just before the season begins, is significant for a team that has relied on exceptional technical stability to achieve its recent dominance. Skinner's role was pivotal in translating Adrian Newey's concepts into a race-winning machine, making his exit a notable loss of institutional knowledge and experience.

The details:

• Skinner joined Red Bull in 2006 after working at Jordan and Williams, starting as a CFD engineer.
• He rose through the ranks, becoming group leader in 2009, deputy head of aerodynamics, and then chief aerodynamicist in 2018.
• His appointment as chief designer in 2022 placed him at the forefront of the RB19's development, a car that won 21 of 22 races in the 2023 season.
• Red Bull's statement emphasized his integral role in the team's success and wished him well, but provided no details on his replacement or future plans.

What's next:

The immediate focus for Red Bull is managing the transition without disrupting its preparations for the upcoming season. The team must now identify who will assume Skinner's responsibilities in overseeing the design and development of its 2024 and future challengers, a critical task as rivals like Ferrari and McLaren close the performance gap.